Bob Ross Paintings to Be Auctioned to Support Public TV After Funding Cuts

Thirty paintings by Bob Ross — the soft-spoken artist whose “happy little trees” became a symbol of optimism for generations — are set to be auctioned to help U.S. public television stations hit by massive federal budget cuts.

The auctions, organized by Bonhams, will begin November 11 in Los Angeles and later expand to New York, London, Boston, and online. All proceeds will go to PBS and NPR member stations that rely on public funding to broadcast shows like The Joy of Painting, This Old House, and Julia Child’s French Chef Classics.

The move follows Congress’s elimination of $1.1 billion in public broadcasting support, forcing many stations to launch emergency fundraising drives. Bob Ross Inc. said the initiative honors Ross’s lifelong mission to make art accessible to everyone.

Most of the paintings up for sale were created live on air in under 30 minutes — serene mountain vistas and lakescapes painted during his 1980s and ’90s PBS show. With estimated values between $850,000 and $1.4 million, the collection is expected to provide a lifeline for small and rural broadcasters.